Interviewer:
Dear friends, on this beautiful autumn evening, I start today's episode by offering my respects to Mother and Bama at Shantikunja. A warm welcome to those new to the Guptadhan Shyamakapa YouTube channel, and thank you to our long-time friends for staying with us. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru:
Pranam, my child. Tell me.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, Shantikunja is going through many events right now, and these things are affecting your life as well. It is very painful for us. We see that some people close to you are selling your name or exploiting your position, which is distressing.
Guru:
Yes, many people are living off my name and have become wealthy. What can be done? You see the state of society—what a downfall. I don't want to take names, but I told you once before, remember? Lord Krishna said that the large wells would dry up, and there would be no water. Now I see that—the big wells have dried up. The smaller wells nearby still have a little water, but they will likely dry up too. There will be no water to drink. Water is life, yet people won't have it. Krishna spoke of this.
Interviewer:
Yes, one of the five Pandavas asked him that question, and he gave this answer.
Guru:
Exactly. Greed leads to sin, and sin leads to death. Greed is a powerful thing; once it touches a person, they don't know where to stop. You can see it happening now. It's not right for me to discuss this in detail, but considering the current situation, I wonder where greed can lead a person. They don't care about the poor or the rich; they only care about how much they can get for themselves. They don't care about what happens to others. And the consequences are terrible.
Interviewer:
The things we are hearing are very painful and sad. We couldn't even imagine such things happening.
Guru:
I couldn't imagine it either. I pray to God that the wicked are punished. It must happen. What has happened in West Bengal is beyond anyone's imagination. It is a very unfortunate incident. I won't name anyone, but this should never have happened. Education was sold.
Guru:
We could have made so much money by exploiting the name of God, but we didn't. We learned that greed is sin and sin is death. My Guru taught me never to be greedy.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, I once asked you, "Who is the Guru of sins?" and you answered, "Greed."
Guru:
Yes, Greed is the Guru of sins. Because of greed, people commit sins, and now they are facing the consequences.
Interviewer:
I believe those associated with Shantikunja should work with more caution. Otherwise, it creates division among us.
Guru:
It will happen. Greed drives people to even deny their Guru. The Guru who initiated them, who taught them not to steal or cheat... look at me, I have given lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of initiations. No one can say I took a single penny for it. If people offer money, I tell them I cannot sell initiation. People bring clothes or fruits, and sometimes I refuse them because I don't want the initiation to feel like a transaction. I have returned many things.
Guru:
And now, education has been sold. They have "sold" Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of Learning). These people have no limits. I hope God never forgives them. I hope they rot. I feel such intense anger because they have no shame, no honor.
Interviewer:
We see people coming to you with complaints that your disciples are harming them. That's why we are doing this episode. If you truly respect Gurudev, come directly here. Don't go wandering elsewhere.
Guru:
The consequences will be terrible. I have never seen my Guru in person, but I saw a glimpse of him at the cremation ground once. We still follow the ideals of Baba Bama Khepa. I see 100-150 people every day at the cremation ground. I check their horoscopes or palms, whatever they need, but I never ask for a single penny. We are simple people. Why should I be greedy? There are so many poor people; if I ask, they might give by selling their gold or belongings, but that would be "sinful money." I spit on such money.
Guru:
Educated people—though they shouldn't be called educated—who do these things are filthy. I pray to God: do not forgive them.
Interviewer:
To the viewers, I repeat: stay loyal to the one you consider your Guru. If you go elsewhere and then bring complaints to Gurudev, he won't accept it.
Guru:
I hear many complaints. I tell God about it. I have seen what happens to those who disobey their Guru's commands.
Interviewer:
This reminds me of Rabindranath Tagore's words. He said: "Those who have extinguished your light and poisoned your air—have you forgiven them? Have you loved them?"
Guru:
I think of those words often. What can be done? Even such a great poet asked this. You extinguished the light, you poisoned the very air we breathe, yet we are asked to forgive?
Guru:
Forgiveness is a virtue; the Gita teaches us that forgiveness is the ultimate religion. But these actions are unforgivable. Everyone will spit on them. It makes me feel terrible.
Interviewer:
Finally, Gurudev, you are saying that while we should seek forgiveness, the administration should also ensure they are punished.
Guru:
Yes, if the administration had been more alert, this wouldn't have happened. It reminds me of a story about a boy named Gopal. He had no mother and was raised by his aunt. Gopal would steal pens and erasers from school and give them to his aunt. She would be happy and feed him well. Slowly, he started stealing from houses. Eventually, he was caught and sent to jail. He realized that if his aunt had corrected him the first time he stole, he wouldn't be in jail. He called his aunt to his cell, acted as if he wanted to whisper something, and bit her ear off.
Guru:
He told her, "If you had stopped me then, I wouldn't be here now." This is the situation. If there had been a bit of restraint and oversight from the beginning, it wouldn't have come to this.
Interviewer:
Through this video, Gurudev has spoken out against those doing wrong, whether within Shantikunja or outside.
Guru:
"Those who have extinguished your light and poisoned your air—have you forgiven them? Have you loved them?" That is the question. Forgiveness is our religion, but what they did is beyond forgiveness. I hope they find some sense and wisdom, though it seems lost to them now. All they know is money, and look at what that money has done to West Bengal. It's heartbreaking.
Interviewer:
Thank you, Gurudev. Pranam.
Guru:
Pranam, my child. Stay well.